Only the Rain
by Raven55
Summary: A sad little story about Hermione, waiting for her love to come to meet her one last time


Disclaimer: Don't own it, never have, never will. That good enough for ya?  
  
~*~ Only the Rain ~*~  
  
A figure stood alone. It was a girl She had her arms wrapped around her and shivered because of the cold.  
  
She looked up at the castle. No candles were lit. The stars above her were shining bright. The moon was covered by dark grey clouds. Raindrops started to fall on her head.  
  
She shivered again. In her hand she held a note. The rain had smudged the ink but she knew it by heart.  
  
"Dear Hermione,  
It is time, you know it is.  
It is time for us to say goodbye.  
I love you, with all my heart, but our love must die.  
Our love can only bring misery and pain.  
It hurts me so deeply but I will say goodbye once more.  
I cannot leave this without seeing you one last time.  
The dark night will lend us her cloak for one more night.  
Until tonight, my love.  
Yours, Draco."  
  
She shivered. Draco. The name brought tears to her eyes.  
  
Why did he want to say goodbye? Because he knew they could not hide it anymore.  
  
A look, a glance, a touch. Everyday they were drawn closer to each other. Soon people would have seen. Soon people would have asked. And those people wouldn't have understood.  
  
* * *  
  
"Hermione!" Ron shouted indignantly.  
  
Draco immediately jumped back, averting his eyes and the hand he had touched her cheek with he held behind his back.  
  
"Hermione, what are you doing? Are you going to let him touch you like that?"  
  
Hermione looked confused. "I – er – I – No! Stay away from me Malfoy! Don't you dare touch me ever again!"  
  
Her eyes begged him to stay, to kiss her, to hold her.  
  
He gave her a quick smile and sneered: "As if I'd ever want to! Next time, watch where you're going filthy mudblood. If my delicate hands ever had to touch you again I might just have to drop a nice little curse on your head."  
  
His eyes sought hers. 'Until tonight, my love.' They said.  
  
Hermione blushed. She took Ron's arm and dragged him away.  
  
"Listen Mione, if he ever bothers you again..."  
  
"I can handle myself Ron...thanks for being there for me."  
  
Ron gave her a hug and gave her a sincere look. "I'll always be there for you. Friends always are."  
  
* * *  
  
Ron...sweet Ron. He wouldn't understand. Like the rest, but Ron especially.  
  
A Slytherin, a Malfoy. But she and Draco, their love had felt so grand, so large. How could people object? How could people not understand?  
  
The raindrops fell heavier. And she was still alone, waiting.  
  
* * *  
  
She bent down and crawled through the bushes, A hand out of nowhere helped her up.  
  
"You know, that dirt on your face sort of looks cute." He said with a smirk.  
  
"Well, are you sure you want to help me up? Those delicate hands haven't recovered from this afternoon yet, have they?"  
  
They laughed.  
  
He looked into her eyes, those beautiful eyes.  
  
"How could I ever have – have hated you"  
  
"How could I ever have judged you."  
  
"I hated Potter, still do. I'll never be able to be nice to him."  
  
Hermione pecked his lips.  
  
"You don't have to. As long as you love me..."  
  
He picked her up and swirled her around and laughed.  
  
"I do!" he yelled. "I do love you so." And he pulled her into a sweet kiss.  
  
She giggled and kissed him back. An owl hooted somewhere. They looked at the stars. Orion was shining bright. The night was quiet.  
  
"We'd better get back...someone might miss us. Questions and stuff..."  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
"See you tomorrow?"  
  
"Not even the rain could keep me away from you." He said and he sealed his promise with a kiss.  
  
She watched him crawl away and waited five minutes before following.  
  
* * *  
  
The wind started to howl and she shivered once more. This place had become almost a second home to them, meeting there every single night.  
  
She looked at the tree, an old willow. Their initials were carved in there.  
  
She had crawled through the bushes one night to find him scratching something into the tree. He had smiled, proudly showing her the heart.  
  
'DM loves HG'  
  
With her fingers she touched the carvings. They wouldn't disappear. They would always stay there, to remind her of something that could not be.  
  
She traced her memory for his note again.  
  
'I love you, with all my heart, but our love must die. Our love can only bring misery and pain.'  
  
Yes, pain. She would have caused her friends so much pain. And herself too. But saying goodbye...it hurt her more.  
  
* * *  
  
She was pouring over her homework. An essay here, a difficult translation there. A hand on her shoulder startled her.  
  
She stopped mid-sentence when she saw who it was. "Hey Dr- er Ron. What are you doing here?"  
  
He looked puzzled. "...it's a library. I actually DO some of my homework you know."  
  
"Oh...yes of course."  
  
He leaned on the table in silence for a few seconds.  
  
"Listen...could you please come on a walk with me?"  
  
She raised an eyebrow at his request, but picked up her things and stuffd them in her bag.  
  
"Alright...I need a break anyway."  
  
They walked around the grounds. Somehow, she didn't know why, she felt uncomfortable.  
  
Ron leaned against a tree near the lake.  
  
"I...I want to talk to you about something." He said, his voice a bit unsure.  
  
Her mind snapped out of her thoughts and focussed on Ron. Suddenly she realised where this was going. She groaned inwardly.  
  
"Hermione," he said softly, taking her hand. "Hermione, I love you. I might not show it all the time, but I do. It's why I always argue with you, because I like you so much."  
  
She stared at their hands horrified. She pulled her hand back.  
  
"I'm so sorry..." she whispered.  
  
He took her hand again. "There's nothing to be sorry about. Just say you'll be my girlfriend."  
  
Tears fell down her face. "Ron, I can't. I don't love you back, I-"  
  
She turned around and ran towards the castle. This wasn't fair. Even when she was happy, there was something to make her sad.  
  
* * *  
  
It had ben fifteen minutes already. And the rain fell heavier still. Her shoes were getting muddy. The note was now completely ruined.  
  
Normally he got there first. She was always second to arrive.  
  
Her hair was soaked, as were her robes.  
  
One last kiss, one last moment of happiness. The one thing she would never get.  
  
* * *  
  
Their eyes met. All the way through the Main Hall. She smiled. He winked.  
  
Harry prodded her shoulder.  
  
"Are you okay Mione? You look a bit...out of it."  
  
"Yes I'm fine. Just...thinking, that's all."  
  
She watched Draco get up from the Slytherin House table. He looked at her again and then left the Hall.  
  
Hastily she got up too.  
  
"Listen, Harry, I'm going to the – to the library. I left some homework behind. I'll meet you in class."  
  
Before he could answer she had left the Main Hall.  
  
She ran through the corridors until she saw him. Next to a statue, he was waiting.  
  
"I've missed you." She said.  
  
He kissed her tenderly.  
  
"I've missed you too." He answered her softly.  
  
Another kiss.  
  
"...Pansy is asking me where I go every night."  
  
"Have you told her?"  
  
"No! She wouldn't understand. Have you told anyone?"  
  
She shook her head.  
  
"Why are people so stupid. Why can't thay accept the way we feel."  
  
"Because they're blind."  
  
A sound down the corridor signalled that the students were on their way to class. He smiled, gave her a quick kiss on her cheek and straightened his face when he saw someone familiar coming around the corner.  
  
Next time I won't go so easy on you Granger."  
  
"Yeah? Well next time you'd better watch out. Because I don't like people threatening me so I might just have to drop a little curse of my own!" she sneered.  
  
Draco smirked. "Fine. If you think you'll actually get a chance to do that."  
  
Harry stepped up behind Hermione. "Move Malfoy. Leave her alone."  
  
Draco smirked again. "Oh I'm simply shaking Potter." He turned around and casually made his way into the nearest classroom.  
  
"Did he bother you? I'll teach that bastard a lesson. Won't he ever stop?"  
  
"Harry, let it go. He's not that tough, I can handle him." She assured him.  
  
He gave her an unsure look, but shrugged and dragged her to the dungeons for their Potions lesson.  
  
* * *  
  
Another ten minutes gone. Her face was wet. But she couldn't tell if that was because of the rain...or because of tears.  
  
This was it. No turning back, no happy ending. It was gone.  
  
Only the rain had come. Only the rain had joined her this night.  
  
"Goodbye..." she whispered.  
  
She took out her wand and pointed it at the carvings. A whisper, a sigh. Then the markings slowly disappeared.  
  
She turned around and left. Borrowing the dark night's cloak one last time.  
  
~*~ 


End file.
